Rotary axle.



PATENTED Nov. s, 1903. C. "FAULIQIBR ROTARY AXLB.

APPLIOA'HON FILED JAN. 9, 1903.

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WITNESSES NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES,

Patented November` 3, 1903.

.PATENTOFFICE ROTARY AxLE.

vSIPEGIEICLA'III'JN forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,851, datedNovember 3, 1903.

i Application iiled January 9, 1903. Serial No. 138,421. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAY FAULKNER, of Mc- Minnville, in the county ofWarren and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Rotary Axles; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to an improvement in rotary axles, the object ofthe invention being to provide a perfectly-running perfectlylubricatedpowerful axle which will greatly reduce friction, and thereby lightenthe draft of the vehicle. 1

A further object is to provide an improved channel axle-support of greatstrength and which will inclose the axle-sections and exclude dirt andgrit from the bearings.

A further object is to provide improved bearings for the axle-sectionsand improved waste-carrying trays or platforms to maintain wastesaturated with lubricant in contact with the axle-sections attheirbearings.

With these objects in view the invention consists in cert-ain novelfeatures of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, aswill be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan View illustratingmy improvements.

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section. Fig.

3 is a rear View. Fig. 4 is a View in section on the line as of Fig. 2.Fig. 5 is a view in section on the line y y of Fig. 2. Figs. 6 and 7 areenlarged views illustrating details of construction, and Fig. 8 is aview illustrating the application of my improvement as a front axle.'r

1 represents myl improved channel axlesupport, which is composed ofmetal stamped or formed into the general inverted-U shape incross-section, Aas shown, and formed with flanges 2 at both lower edgesthroughout the entire length of the support. On top of this supportgains 3 are securely riveted and project beyond the sides of ends andare perforated to receive bolts or rivets to secure the hounds 4.thereto. The ends of the support are inclined inwardly `from top tobottom and made with an outthe support at both "the bearings in place.

wardly-projecting flange to deflect dirt and grit away from thewheel-hubs, and sandbands 6 on wheel-hubs 7`overlap these anges 5,preventing any entrance of dirt and grit between the support and hub.

In the channel axle-support 1 at its respective ends journal-boxes 8 arelocated and each made in two sections, the upper section preferablylined with Babbitt metal or brass and provided on its upper face with asemispherical enlargement 9 to fit a correspondinglyshaped socket insupport l and permit pivotal adjustment of the journalbox. The lowersection of the box is cast hollow and has a removable shaft 10 mountedtherein and made angular throughout a portion of its length to enter theangular bore of a dished or curved tray or platform 11, adapted tocontain lubricant-saturated waste and hold the same in contact withaxle-section 12 by means of a spring 13, secured to the tray and bearingon the bottom of the box. An opening 14 is provided in the side ofsupport 1 for the entrance of waste and lubricant to the tray, and thisopening is closed by a cover 14.. One end of shaft 10 projects beyondthe box and is made with a crank-arm 15, to which a depending wire 16 issecured/,and located in convenient reach, so as to permit a person topull down on this wire lower tray 11 and stuff Waste through opening 14between the tray and axle, and when the wire is released spring 13 willreturn the tray to its former position and always maintain thelubricantsaturated waste in contact with the axle. These journal-boxesare secured in position by means of the hound-braces 17, which aresecured to the support by bolts passed through perforations in theflanges 2 thereof.

The inner ends of axle-sections 12 are supported in pivoted bearings 18,which latter comprise bearing-sleeves having waste-receptacles 19 at thetop and ducts 2O for conveying the lubricant from said receptaclesto thebearing. Circular enlargements 2Oa are provided on the lower side of thesleeves and are perforated to receive bolts 2l, passed through openingsin the support and pivotally secure The sides of support 1, where it isperforated to form bolt-holes 22, is strengthened by reinforcing-plates23, secured thereto, and the bolt holes 22 are ICO somewhat elongated topermit of a certain vertical adjustment of the bearings to exactlyposition the axle-sections and the wheels or, in other words, to allow asufficient adjustment of the axle-sections to exactly dispose the spokesof the wheels in a vertical position, and thus insure the greatestpossible strength thereof. I provide crescent-shaped blocks 24:,whichmay be placed in bolt-openings4 22 either below or above the bolts toaccomplish this adjustment, and these blocks are held in position by thebolt-heads and nuts.

The inner ends of axle-sections 12, which terminate in close proximityto each other,

are grooved peripherally to receive a boxshaped coupling 25, whose endsare grooved and enter the grooves in the axles and inclose the innerends thereof, preventing possibility of any longitudinal movement. Thiscoupling 25 is held in position by a bar 26, bent at its ends aroundenlargements 20 and secured thereto by cap-screws 27. This coupling 25is also adapted to contain Waste, and openings 28 are provided in theside of support l to permit the injection of Waste and lubricant intothe coupling and receptacles 19. dirt and grit which may fall from thetop of the support by means of a flange 29, overlapping and clamping theedges of a slide 30, made with a suitable handheld 3l to facilitate itsmovement in opening and closing the lubricant-inlets. n

A plate 32 is secured to the bottom flanges 2 of support l, entirelyclosing the sam/e between the end Iiournal-boxes, and thus exclude alldirt and grit from the axle-sections.

As shown in Fig. 8, when my improvements are employed as the front axleof a vehicle I secure to the top of support l at its center a raisedplate 33, having a central opening for the king-bolt 34. I thus dispensewith the necessity of perforating the channel axle-support, and therebyavoid the entrance of dirt and grit, which would otherwise follow theking-bolt into the channel.

By constructing myimprovements as above explained it will be seen thatthe axle-sections can be adjusted in their pivoted bearings to hold thewheel-spokes vertical and secure the greatest strength of the vehicle,that the bearings can be lubricated without removing the wheels, thatdirt and grit are positively excluded from all of the bearings, and thatan axle which is a vastv improvement over anything of this characterheretofore known is the result.

A great many changes might be made in the general form and arrangementof the parts described Without departing from my invention, and hence Ido not confine myself to the precise details set forth, but considermyself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairlyfall Within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what These openings 28 areprotected from' I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination of ametal channel axlesupport of approximateinverted-U shape in cross-section and having flanges at its lower edges,and means for securing rotary axle-sections in said support.

2. The combination of a metal channel axlesupport ofapproximately-inverted-U shape in cross-section flanged throughout itslower edge and at both ends, and the ends of said support inclinedinwardly from its top to its bottom, and means for securing rotaryaxlesections in said support.

3. The combination with a channel axlesupport, of bearings in the outerends thereof for rotary axle-sections, and pivotally-supported bearingsin said support for the inner ends of said axle-sections.

4. The combination with a channel axlesupport, of bearings in the outerends thereof for rotary axle-sections, pivotally-supported bearings insaid support for the inner ends of the axle-sections, and a box-couplingfor the inner ends of said axle-sections.

5. The combination with a channel axlesupport having bearings in itsends for rotary axle-sections, of bearings for the inner ends of saidaxle-sections and bolts passed through the supports and bearings topivotally secure the latter.

6. The combination with a channel axlesupport having bearings in itsends for rotary axle-sections,of pivotally-secured bearings in thesupport for the inner ends of the axlesections, lubricant-receptacles inthe top of said bearings and ducts connecting the receptacles with thejournal-bearings.

7. The combination with a channel axlesupport having bearings for theouter and inner ends of rotary axle-sections, a coupling for the innerends of said axle-sections and said support made with lubricant-inletsto the inner bearings and coupling, of a slide to close said inlets, anda flanged protector overlapping the edges of the slide to deflect dirtand grit away from the inlets.

8. The combination of a channel axle-support extending from hub to hubof the wheels and inclosin g rotary axle-sections and a plate removablysecured to the open bottom of said support. 9. The combination with achannel axlesupport, of bearings therein for rotary axlesections, boltspassed through elongated openings in the support and through openings inthe bearings to pivotally support the latter and crescent-shaped blocksor plates:inserted in said elongated openings to properly position thebearings.

10. The combination with a channel axlesupport, of ybearings in thesupport for rotary axle-sections and having pockets therein, ashaftprojecting through the pocket and havingfa crank-arm o n its outerend, a tray or platform secured on the shaft in the pocket and adaptedto support waste, a spring to IOO hold the Waste against theaxle-sectionrrneans top of said support at its center and perfoxo forpermitting the crank-arm to be pulled downward to draw the traydownward, and a cover closing an opening in the channel axlesupportthrough which waste and lubricant are forced onto the tray.

11. The combination with a channel axlesupport having bearings thereinfor rotary axle-sections, of a raised plate secured to the rated toreceive a king-bolt.

In testimony whereof I have' signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

CLAY FAULKNER.

Writnesses:

S. W. FOSTER, R. S. FERGUSON.-

